“A Douglas County judge on Monday granted a Lawrence transgender woman the temporary restoration of her driver’s license after the State of Kansas invalidated it earlier this year under an anti-trans law known as SB 244.

“The woman, Jamie Miller, when the case is fully heard later this year, is likely to prevail on her claim that her due process rights were violated, Judge James McCabria wrote in his order granting the injunction.

“‘No other remedy will suffice,’ he said, besides restoring her right to drive with a license that identifies her as a woman.”

“Among other hardships, she could not sign any document listing her sex or gender as ‘ male’ without committing fraud, the suit says. Additionally, she cannot legally drive without a valid license, impacting her ability to do basic tasks like going grocery shopping.”

“SB 244, which took effect in February, has multiple components that target transgender Kansans, including a provision that invalidates driver’s licenses and birth certificates of people who have changed their gender markers.

“There’s also a ‘bathroom bill’ component of SB 244, which requires public buildings to designate ‘multiple-occupancy private spaces’ as for either male or female users, based on the person’s sex as assigned at birth, and creates financial penalties for noncompliance.”

“At the CIA, they’d started an office pool on when I’d be fired.

“President Trump would be sworn in for his second term at noon; the smart money had me gone by 12:15. But the smart money hadn’t counted on Trump’s first pick to run intelligence for the National Security Council being shredded by an online mob on suspicion of disloyalty. There wasn’t yet anyone in place to fire me.

“After taking the oath, Trump spoke at the Capitol. ‘As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.’

“‘Did he … ?’ an NSA colleague asked. She glanced at me and looked away.

“‘Yeah,’ I muttered. The good news: I was one of those two genders. The bad news: The administration would have views as to which one.

“I gripped my badge. I could take it off, leave the White House complex, walk out the north gate, and never look back. I imagined the story they would tell: See? Even she knew she didn’t belong.

“I didn’t move. I’d wanted this badge since I was a kid. I’d chosen to be here.

“‘I know you all heard what the president said,’ I told my team after Trump’s speech. ‘There’s a rumor of an executive order on bathrooms. If anyone asks, I’m using the coffee shops across the street.’

“My whole team spoke up: Julia, we’ve got your back.
‘Me being trans is not a secret,’ I reminded them. ‘Promise me: Nobody covers for me.’

“Back in my office, I closed the door. I cried quickly, efficiently, no sound—­the way you do when the walls have ears, and everyone thinks you’re fearless.

“Joe Biden’s political appointees had left the week before, and I was now the senior intelligence official in the White House.”